MCAST Mobile Training Team Trains Ghana Sailors

SEKONDI, Ghana (NNS) -- A Security Force Assistance(SFA) Mobile Training Team (MTT) detachment from Maritime Civil Affairs and Security Training Command (MCASTC) concluded a five-day training mission with Ghana sailors Aug. 12.

Eighteen sailors from Ghana's navy learned basic water safety, swimming, and dive preparation skill during the course which included one day of classroom instruction and four days of practical training in the water.

MTT leader Lt. Timothy Teti led the sailors through the rigors of preparation, making sure they had the necessary skills to complete the training.

Two MTT team members were certified swim instructors who provided training for the Ghana sailors who, in some cases, had limited swimming skills.

"At the end of the session, the students were able to swim from one side of the pool to the other and able to
clear and use the mask, fins and snorkel," said Teti. "Many of the sailors expressed a desire for a longer course of training, excited to build on the foundation already laid."

Electronics Technician First Class Anthony Nekervis, a Red Cross-certified swim instructor, enjoyed the opportunity to work with the sailors from Ghana.

"There are a lot of things we do in the Navy where you can't see the end result," said Nekervis. "This was one of those opportunities where you got to see it from start to finish. The product, the motivation, the training, as well as the mutual satisfaction from sailors in what they learned."

At the completion of the practical training portion of the course, a graduation ceremony was held for the sailors. They lined up together and thanked the instructors individually with motivational cheers.

"One by one they thanked us", Teti said. "They told us what the training meant to them personally and how they've gained confidence in the water using the equipment. I was so inspired by them."

SFA detachments from the MCAST command collaborate with foreign militaries in support of security cooperation and foreign internal defense missions. These cooperative engagements can include focus on small boat operations and tactics, maritime combat operations, anti-terrorism and force protection, maintenance and construction, and officer and non-commissioned officer professional development and leadership.

MCASTC provides effective, flexible, and responsive teams of U.S. Navy Sailors to joint task force commanders to establish and enhance relations between military forces, governmental and nongovernmental organizations, and the civilian populace. It was commissioned in 2009 from the merger of the former Maritime Civil Affairs Group and Expeditionary Training Command, under the guidance of Navy Expeditionary Combat Command. MCASTC is homeported at Naval Air Station Oceana Dam Neck Annex, Va.

For more news from Maritime Civil Affairs and Security Training Command, visit www.navy.mil/local/MCAST/.